Tilting and stacking arrangement for hatch cover



March 1, 1966 P. o. HUSE 3,237,681

TILTING AND STACKING ARRANGEMENT FOR HATCH COVER Filed March 13, 1964 INVENTOR ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,237,681 TILTING AND STACKING ARRANGEMENT FOR HATCH COVER Paul Obert Huse, Aukra, Norway Filed Mar. 13, 1964, Ser. No. 351,625 4 Claims. (Cl. 160193) The present invention relates to a tilting and stacking arrangement for hatch covers of the type consisting of several interconnected sections, where each section is provided near each end thereof with two rollers, so that said sections may be displaced upon roller tracks by means of a hauling rope. When the successive sections move past the end of the hatch they are tilted from a substantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position by means of cooperating members provided near the end of each section and near the hatch end respectively. In the latter position the hatch covers are stacked upon stacking rails outside the coaming of the hatch.

In the previously known arrangements of the above defined type the stacking rails are provided in direct connection to and in substantially the same level as the top of the coaming or to the roller tracks thereupon, so that said stacking rails hinder easy passage upon a narrow and/or crowded deck, even at times when the stacking rails carry no hatch sections.

The object of the invention is to provide a tilting and stacking arrangement for hatch covers of the above defined type, where the stacking rails are arranged at a higher level than the top of the coaming, so that free passage is provided under said rails when the hatch sections are not suspended therefrom.

This is, according to the present invention, achieved in that the stacking rails have no direct connection with the roller tracks provided upon the coaming and are situated at a substantially higher level than said tracks and are arranged in the form of cantilevers or brackets on vertical posts upon the ships deck, and in that those rollers by means of which each section is suspended from said cantilevers are situated near the rear end of the section, and in that each section is tilted about rollers which are, in a manner known per se, stationary upon the coaming, and cooperate with profile parts provided on each side of each section.

The drawing shows, by way of example, a side view of an arrangement according to the invention.

The coaming 1 is provided with roller tracks 2, a tightening edge 3 and at its front end with a tilting roller 4. Each hatch section 5 is near each end provided with two rollers 6 and 7 respectively, so that the sections may be displaced upon the roller tracks 2 by means of a hauling 3,237,681 Patented Mar. 1, 1966 rope 8 and a winch (not shown). Each side of each section 5 moreover is provided with a guideway 9, adapted to so cooperate with the tilting roller 4 that when the successive sections are hauled over the roller 4 they are tilted from substantially horizontal to substantially vertical position and become supported upon stacking rails 10, by means of the rearmost rollers 6. The hatch sections 5 are, at the rearmost rollers 6, interconnected by means of chains 11. The stacking rails 10 thus may be arranged in the form of cantilevers or brackets upon posts 12, at a higher level than the top of the coaming, so that free passage is provided under the stacking rails, when the sections are not suspended from the latter.

I claim:

1. In combination with a coaming for a hatch, a plurality of hatch covers mounted for movement along the coaming, and a tilting and stacking apparatus for the hatch covers, the hatch covers having guide means thereon extending lengthwise along the covers and having at one end abutments, pivot means adjacent the end of the path of movement of the covers along the coaming, said guide means engaging and moving along said pivot means to support said covers, said pivot means engaging said abutments to stop the covers and to support the covers for pivotal movement about said pivot means, track means spaced above the discharge end of the coaming, and support means on the trailing ends of said covers to support the covers from their trailing ends in pendant relationship from said track means when the covers pivot on said pivot means.

2. Structure as claimed in claim 1, said pivot means comprising roller means mounted for rotation about a fixed axis.

3. Structure as claimed in claim 1, said support means comprising roller means carried by the trailing ends of said covers.

4. Structure as claimed in claim 1, said abutments being disposed away from the centers of gravity of the covers toward the trailing ends so that when said pivot means contacts said abutments said centers of gravity will overbalance and maintain the covers with their trailing ends raised.

References Cited by the Examiner FOREIGN PATENTS 818,159 6/1937 France. 1,003,070 2/ 1957 Germany.

1,091,893 10/1960 Germany.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

P. M. CAUN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A COAMING FOR A HATCH, A PLURALITY OF HATCH COVERS MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT ALONG THE COAMING, AND A TILTING AND STACKING APPARATUS FOR THE HATCH COVERS, THE HATCH COVERS HAVING GUIDE MEANS THEREON EXTENDING LENGTHWISE ALONG THE COVERS AND HAVING AT ONE END ABUTMENTS, PIVOT MEANSD ADJACENT THE END OF THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF THE COVERS ALONG THE COAMING, SAID GUIDE MEANS ENGAGING AND MOVING ALONG SAID PIVOT MEANS TO SUPPORT SAID COVERS, SAID PIVOT MEANS ENGAGING SAID ABUTMENTS TO STOP THE COVERS AND TO SUPPORT THE COVERS FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT ABOUT SAID PIVOT MEANS, TRACK MEANS SPACED ABOVE THE DISCHARGE END OF THE COAMING, AND SUPPORT MEANS ON THE TRAILING ENDS OF SAID COVERS TO SUPPORT THE COVERS FROM THEIR TRAILING ENDS IN PENDANT RELATIONSHIP FROM SAID TRACK MEANS WHEN THE COVERS PIVOT ON SAID PIVOT MEANS. 